Kaleena
by Kitty Kat Amby
Summary: Kaleena daughter of one of Tortalls wealthiest merchant is secretly married and the estranged wife of the present king of thieves, who has just decided to come back into her life. Here's the next chapter and thanks to that1girl with out type-o's
1. 1

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I miss any spelling mastakes as most of what I have so far was writen at like 2 or 3 in the mornning, please let me know what you think so far I have some big ideas for this story.

* * *

Brown haired, blue eyed, beauty, Kaleena, youngest child of the merchant Marcus Cadder, was the best thing her family ever had. The problem was her other life she was the a major player in the black market getting rid of things for thieves, of course there was the other problem the one that only five people on earth knew about. She had spent the last five years of her life in a secret mirage, well secret estranged mirage to the king of thieves. It all happened one drunken night in a poker game, Jordan Marker low level thief but good friend of Luke Parker the king of thieves, Carter Mart player on the black market, Liadan Harsher the local Madam of Corus and of course the king of thieves himself. Everyone was cheating the only problem was that Kaleena and Luke kept coming up in a draw every time cause for some weird reason they always cheated the same way with the same cards.

After a while of losing Jordan threw out "Why can't you two stop that, if your going to cheat stop doing it the same way."

"Do you think that I'm doing this on purpose, it's not even like it would come down to this if you didn't know how to cheat better." said Kaleena.

"Well let's make this interesting then. How about this if I win," Liadan started turning toward Kaleena, "You have to cut me a deal on the things I buy from you?"

"Fine, not like your going to win anyways."

They played the hand Luke and Kaleena came up as a draw again. Five times different people at the table made bets with Kaleena or Luke and each time it ended the same, then Jordan said, "I've got one for both of you if I win this hand, you two..." he trailed off for a moment before continuing, "have to get married."

"Why would you say that?" asked Luke.

"Well I don't know," he paused, "you two can't seem to stop cheating the same way, and you have to admit that is a bit weird. And it not like your complete strangers, you kind of know each other."

"Why not," Kaleena said taking a long swig of ale, "it's not like you've ever even gotten close to winning yet."

"Alright," said Luck slugging back another pint of ale himself.

Liadan and Carter looked at each other thinking the same thing, _this can not end good_. And of course no need to go into detail Jordan won, so about three in the morning Liadan, Carter, Jordan, Luke and Kaleena found themself standing in front of a Mithros and Great Mother priest and priestess. Since that day Kaleena and Luck haven't spent more then ten minutes in the same room without having a yelling match, it got so bad that Luke left Corus and started running the thieves in Persopolis that was five years ago.

Now Kaleena's twenty-two and trying to run her father's shop for him, since she has been doing this she has brought in so much money that her father has become the wealthiest merchant in all of Tortall. She had also become the notorious as "Doll Face" the best seller on the black market, while Luck was now twenty-seven and while few thieves remembered his face anymore he was just as notorious.

* * *

Kaleena was sitting on a elegantly carved chair in a back room of the Dancing Dove, where after Luck had left she had taken to conducting her business. She was looking over some numbers she had written up on thing that she had sold recently, when there was a knock on her door. She look up as the person came in without even waiting for a reply. "Liadan, do you need something."

"Yes and no, I was wondering if you could get your hands on some of those strong spells for guys who can't get it up? The girls are getting sick of them so I thought I'd ask."

"Um," Kaleena said chewing her lip a little, "I can look into it but you know that it's hard to get those I'll let you know what I can do in a week." When Liadan didn't go on she said, "That business and when I asked if you needed something you said yes and no?"

"Well, um, I thought I should tell you before it starts getting around that Luke's coming back to stay."

"How long have you known?"

"About a week, we were kind of afraid to tell you."

"That I can understand, but don't worry about it I've grown up since then." On a side note she added, "and it's not like we have to cross paths a lot."

Liadan gave her a look of are you dumb while thinking _since when have the two of you not really crossed paths a lot, why before he left you two where always running into each other._

And as if to answer Liadan's unspoken thought she said, "I've changed the way I think, Mithros I even cheat differently, there is no way we will be crossing paths like we used to. So when is he coming back, I'll need to move my things and come up with a new bass of operations, the last thing I need is to be here or bring my work home with me?"

"In a four days."

"That's not much time, you should have told me sooner. Would the girls hate me if I convinced you to let me work there?"

"Not if you got me one of those strong old spell, Mithros, they'd most likely help you move."

"Fine I can take a hint give me a day I'll hit my contacts hard and find one but I will need to have some help moving this stuff," she said gesturing to the things around her.

"No problem, leave it to me, Girls," and with that said about fifteen of Liadan's top girls came in and started gathering thing up. After a few minutes she said, "Well what are you waiting for go hit those contacts women."

Slightly stunned Kaleena walked out of the room that for the past five years had been non-family business office, with a sigh she walked out and started hitting her contacts.

* * *

Kaleena was selling a rather cheaply made knife to a man for well more then it was worth when a dark shadow fell over her. Looking up she saw the one face she had never expected to see standing at her families shop, it was so unexpected that her mouth went dry. He stood there while she quickly finished her sale then said, "we need to talk."

"What about?"

"I don't think you really want to go into this here."

And as her mind had gone completely blank on her the moment that she had seen him like an idiot she ask again, "about what?"

With a sigh he said, "about us."

Then as her mind clicked back to working order she said in a very rude tone, "fine, go wait out side I'll be there in a minute." And having said that she walk into the back door of the shop heading to her father's office. Painting a fake smile like nothing was bothering her she walk into the room and said, "father I need to go out for a while and stretch my legs. You think you can handle the shop by yourself for a while I'm not sure how long I'm going to walk?"

With a smile Marcus Cadder answered his daughter, "take the rest of the day your oldest bother is coming by today to help me seems that wife of his wants him to start working again."

"Thanks Dad, I'll be home for dinner then."

* * *

Kaleena walked out the back entrance to the shop gritting her teeth and thinking _Why is he here? He had to have only got here this morning from what Liadan told me, there's no way this is going to turn out well._ He was standing there at the entrance to the small ally behind the shop, from what she saw he looked like he had been working harder on his fighting skills then he had when he left. The way he was leaning against the side of the wall you could tell that he was much more sensitive to what was going on around him then he had ever been before. He look almost as if he could just tare off and take anyone in any direction.

That not to say that she herself wasn't a bit more wary of the world around her, but her job was more to try and keep to the shadows and only show yourself when the buyer was insight where you wanted them kind of thing. She could fight and she was good at it but she couldn't just go out there and get into fights, fights brought attention and in her business that was bad and she also had her families reputation to think about. She hadn't made her father's business what it was to day to get everyone into trouble.

He waited for her to come over and then started walking, she knew where he was headed, after all it was where she would have headed to talk in private conversation of a sensitive nature. And it just happened to be the room she called her office not even a week ago.

He said nothing till they both got in the room and he closed the door, even when he did start talking it seemed as if he didn't really want to speak though if it was because he knew that they would start yelling or because he didn't want to speak Kaleena wasn't sure. "We need to talk about our relationship."

"What about it? Come on just spit it out Luck, my time is money."

"Alright then, I'll make it short and sweet just for you," he said with heavy sarcasm, "two month ago an old friend of mine asked me to do him a big favor. To pull it off I need to really get married to some one so that no matter what a truth spell will see it as the truth."

"And your problem is what?"

He growled slightly, "Are you forgetting that we are still married?"

"You're," she started then like an idiot it hit her, "How soon is all this till you need this to happen?"

"Last month," he said flatly.

"You do have a problem then don't you, even if we were to get a divorce it would take months."

"Now you understand why we need to talk."

"Alright then what do you want from me then?"

"As I don't have time to wait, and I do see this as partly your fault."

Kaleena interrupted him angrily saying, "Don't you dare act as though you aren't to blame in this as well, you were there too and you lost just like I did."

Luke growled angrily, "I said you were partly, as in so am I. Just hear me out before you start yelling for once or this is going to take a lot longer and the last thing you want is to miss dinner." He added the last part with a sinister smile.

"Fine," she said with a angrily, " finish what you were saying."

"Alright then, as I was saying," he looked over at her, "stop crossing your arms and sit down." He gestured over to a chair in the corner next to the fire place and waited until Kaleena rolled her eyes and angrily walked over to the chair and flopped down in it. "It all ways amazed me how you seem to lose all those manners your father drilled into you when your around me."

"It was my mother who drilled them in and get to your point already."

"None of this leaves this room," he said it in such a way that Kaleena finely understood just how he had gotten to be the king of thieves. She nodded then he continued, "As I said before an old friend of mine ask a favor of me. One that requires that I be married, one that no mage could ever crack meaning that it has to be real, and as you and I are already married and it would take for to long to undue this." He took a long pause, "I need you to go through it again and act like we're really married, not like we have been."

"And why would I do that? What's in it for me? I don't own anyone anything, the way I see it, it's's your problem not mine."

"Answer me this then, why haven't we fixed this mess. I mean it's been five year Kaleena, what ever stopped us?"

Her brow bunched together as she thought, _what had stopped us._ She stammered, "Well I don't know we," she thought, "we," she gave a shrug, "we never got around to it."

"You know that's not it, yeah we hardly ever got along after that night but nothing ever stopped us from getting a divorce. If anything people would think that we should have rush to get it in the very beginning, but no one other then the priest and priestess, Liadan, Jordan and Carter know about it. And I can tell you that Jordan and Carter both wonder why we haven't gotten one."

"Well none of that answers my question, what's in it for me? I mean to do what your asking means that there will be almost no way of us ever braking this off. And I'm not really sure how well you'd fit in with my family," she added the last just to emphasize the point in such a way as to not show that slight bit of fear running up her spine at what he was really suggesting.

Of course Luke knew her well enough even without really knowing her to know what was going on in her head, after all to get where he was a the king of thieves having run it in Persopolis you really had to know what was going on in peoples heads. "Look I'll get you more business then you ever imagined."

"Don't need it I've got all I need," she said getting herself composed again.

"Fine then what do you want?"

"To do what you asking?"

"Yes."

She thought a few minutes in a long drawn out pause before saying, "The biggest favor you have ever owed anyone in your whole life, when I come up with it you drop everything to give me what I want."

Without even pausing he answered, "Fine."

Thrown off by how quickly he answered she ask, "did you just agree?"

"Yes."

"That's not like you, it must be something big that you owe to get you to say yes to this."

"It's not as though your not going to have to put work into this as well, are you going to do it or not?"

"What is it that your doing exactly that you need this?"

"Give me your answer first."

"Alright," she took a deep breath and thought and without even knowing what she said she answered him with, "yes." It was hard to tell who reacted with more shock to her answer Luke or herself, they both had figured that she would put up more of a fight.

As Luke and Kaleena began to work out the particulars Liadan, Jordan and Carter grabbed a table in the back of the main room in the Dancing Dove. "Well what do you think? You think that they're working it out in there or not?" asked Jordan.

"Hard to say we all remember the last time they were in the same room with each other. We had to pull them a part they all but killed each other, for all we know they have already killed each other." Carter said with somewhat of a smile on his face.

"Well they've both grown up a bit since they last saw each other. The problem is what he's asking her to do, it all goes back to that one question in the end." Liadan said as if knowing something that the others didn't.

"And what question is that again?" Jordan asked.

"Oh come on you know the one," after all she got was questioning faces she said, "Why haven't they divorced?"

"Oh that one, I think that it has to do with the same reason they agreed, I think some part of them really does want to be married," Carter said.

"Yeah, right? The only reason they agreed was cause neither of them thought that they would lose," Jordan said, Carter and Liadan just look at each as if saying that's what you think.

Just after this was said Kaleena and Luke came out both looking some what subdued for either of there personalities, when they came over to the table Kaleena said, "You could have told me, as it stands I'm thinking of ways to kill all of you." Just then the door opened as someone left and Kaleena noticed that it was dark outside. "Oh shit I'm late for dinner," she yelled running as best someone can in a crowed room to the door.

Luke sat down as the door closed behind Kaleena, Liadan giving him a weird look, "What?"

"You didn't tell her the whole story did you?" Liadan asked some what angrily.

"I told her enough."

"Damn it, Luke, you can't do this to her she's a good girl, I don't want to see you using her," she said angrily.

"I'm not using her," Luke said with such force that everyone at the table just stared at him in shock as he went on in a angry tone, "and it's not like she's one of your girls Liadan, so just leave it alone."

Jordan was the first to recover saying, "Are you alright man? We meant no harm it just well it does look a like bad with you not telling her the whole story, we're just trying to look out for both of you."

"What are you trying to get out of this Luke?" Carter ask.

His answer was so quite that none of them were sure of what he said, to Carter it sounded as if he had said, "a doll" to Jordan it sounded as if he had said, "my place" and to Liadan it sounded like "her" but maybe they were all right as it stood none were far from what he wanted.


	2. 2

I hope you like this one, I'm not sure if I should change the rating I know that I'm putting in swear words, and**_ I was wondering if anyone out there would want to help me prof read_**. Most of my writing is done really late at night and I'm trying to write this really fast.

* * *

Kaleena ran threw the door of her family's home stopping just inside the door her hand on her knees panting, her mother turned to look at her saying, "You didn't need to run child, your twenty-two now it's alright to be late for dinner some time at your age. Was it some man that kept you I would so love to see you get married some time soon? Why just the other day I was talking with Tanya and she was telling me how her youngest was getting married soon and."

Kaleena cut her off saying, "Why is it that just cause I'm not married you think it's the end of the world I mean mother it's the 60's women don't need to just go out and get married." Walking over to the table she added, "Did you save me any dinner or do I have to go out again?"

"We did save you dinner," said her father sitting in a chair next to the fire, "and I for one was worried about you it's not like you to be this late for dinner."

Grabbing a plate of food Kaleena said, "I know I had no intention of staying so late." She paused not really wanting to say what she was going to say but knowing that if she was going to really go through with this she had to start it now. "I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in a few years and we lost track of time, you know how it is sometimes? You just start talking," _or fighting_ she thought but didn't say.

"Oh who is he?" her mother asked.

"She didn't say it was a he," her father said in that overly protective way that fathers do.

Kaleena threw food into her mouth giving herself a moment to think of how to go on, after she had chewed it for far longer than necessary she said, "He moved to Persopolis about five years ago."

"See I told you it was a he."

Kaleena gritted her teeth slightly not wanted to go on, "I was thinking that maybe I could invite him over for dinner one of these nights. He hasn't really had a good home cooked meal since he left here."

Her mother over joyed all but screamed, "Yes." and her father just looked her over not really sure how to take what she had just asked. To him she was either not wanting to tell them that she liked this guy or she didn't like him and was forced to do it, but he leaned more toward the first.

* * *

That night after everyone had gone to bed Kaleena snuck out her window like she had done many times before only this time it wasn't to go sell something or even to try and find something. This time she was going out for a reason she didn't want to, she was going to talk to Luke, to tell him that he was coming over for dinner tomorrow. Although she was in heavy debate over telling him that her father was planing on having her brothers come that night as well. The one thing above all others that drove her nuts about her family was the fact that they really wanted to marry her of (except dad that is) but if they even got a hint that she MIGHT like someone they did every thing in their power to drive him off.

She made her way into the back room that she knew so well and sat down deciding to wait for Luke instead of getting him herself, that way she would have plenty of time to think. It wasn't long though before Luke came in he look as though he was ready for bed and she guessed that he had no clue that she had come or that she would. He didn't even notice her sitting in a chair next to the fire till she spoke, "Have you lost some of that instinct of yours I could have killed you and run off by now?"

He look at her for a moment before saying, "I'm not dead yet and what are you doing here? You should be at home sleeping."

"Your not my mother, and I'll have you know I come and go as I please, I just don't always tell people I'm leaving," she said with a smile.

"That still doesn't answer what your doing here?"

"I thought I'd come and tell you that your having dinner with my family tomorrow," she got up and headed for the door looking over her shoulder she added, "I'll even be nice and warn you that my brothers are coming too." and with that said she walk out the door and headed back to her house and to bed.

* * *

Luke groaned slightly as he climbed out of bed, he hadn't drank so much last night that he had blanked out but he did have a nasty hangover. Walking over to the desk in the corner of the room to get the stuff he used for hangovers he was shocked to find Kaleena sitting in the chair behind it. "I figured I might as well get in all the annoying you that I can since I'm sure it wont be long before it gets harder but don't think for one moment I wont be thinking of ways to make your life miserable."

He groaned again then said, "What are you doing here?" and then realizing that he wasn't dressed he quickly threw on a pair of pants.

"Didn't I tell you all ready I'm annoying you, I mean if you can't handle me there's no way you will ever be able to handle my family," she said hoping that he would think this to much work to go through and say that it was over.

He smiled at her having a pretty good idea of what she was thinking, then threw his hand over his eyes as his head started throbbing again. Kaleena just stared at him for a few minutes before sighing and sliding a jar of nasty smelling mix over to the end of the desk and closer to him, he grabbed it and pulled the cork out drinking the nasty stuff in one chug, immediately his headache lessened. "Don't you have work to do or something?"

"Nope."

"Are you going to bother me all day?"

"Maybe don't know depends on my mood."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Think about it a little and we wont have to get into this stupid question game, let's just say that it all comes down to the fact that you have never told anyone that the whole truth in your life and I doubt you started with me. In other word I know you left things out and I'm going to bother you because of it."She smiled then added, "I don't even really know if I ever want to know the whole story, but it give me a good reason to annoy you so," she stuck her tong out at him.

"I have very boring plans for today."

"That's fine I don't have any till around noon."

That caused him to groaned again this time not cause of his head but because of the fact that the sun had only just risen about a half hour ago. "Mithros help me, this is worse than before I left, woman." He was cut off by a knock at the door. They both looked at each other something felt wrong and they both knew it, without even waiting Kaleena went out the window and crouch under it so that no one could see her.

Luke went to his desk and grabbed one of his knives before yelling, "Come in."

When the door opened it was a big man wide as he was tall dressed like a noble there was a big greasy stain on the front of his shirt and his cloths were well worn in they might have once been nice but now they were no more then trash that no one would buy. His breath came out in short wheezes and when he spoke he sounded squeaky. "Where is she?" He wheezed, "where is that bitch? I know she's here she's always here." Then realizing that he had never seen the man in front of him before he said, "I don't know what kind of beef you have with her but I get her first."

"And what's she done to you?" Luke asked watching the man closely.

"She sold me this," he held out a small stone about the size of a coin, "She said that it was a magic stone, but she lied. There's no magic in it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause I can't get it to work."

"That doesn't mean anything, your not even a mage are you?"

"No but," Luck cut him off.

"No buts, if your no mage you can't say that it isn't magic, so get out can't you see that a man is trying to relax in here?"

"Oh I'm sorry isn't this er office?"

"Not any more," when the man left Luke came over and leaned against the window sill and said, "You sold a man a pebble," he stated it as a fact.

Kaleena stood up and shrugged, "Like the fat ass knew any different. I sold it to him over a month ago."

He raised his eye brows saying, "You did it on purpose?" Then realizing that he didn't want an answer he said,"Never mind. How are you supposed to be keep everyone happy that way if it starts getting out."

She cut him off saying, "He's not really one of my customers, I just did cause I felt like it. I mean he wants it so that he can live longer, no one can go out there and cheat the black god and I'm not about to help him. I told him what he needed to do is stop eating so much and get outside every now and then. Anyways he's stupid enough to come here himself, that should tell you everything."

"Fine, whatever. You can just stay out there," with that said he closed the shutters on his window.

She gave a humph then let herself out the back gate and headed toward Liadan's, when she got to the front gate of the large building Selena one of Liadan's girls said in a rather gruff tone, "Where's that spell already? We've been waiting forever Kaleena."

Kaleena pulled a small roll of parchment out of her purse holding it up, then she walked through the gate and headed in toward Liadan's office. She walked into the office with out even knocking flopped down into a chair next to Liadan's desk and put her feet on it crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Liadan to speak.

"Please take your feet off my desk," she didn't even look up from her papers.

"Is that any way to talk to someone who just brought you this," she threw the small roll of parchment on the desk.

"You got it, you have no idea how much you've just made my girls happy." Liadan said looking up at Kaleena.

"That's good, just be careful with it, that the original."

Liadan got up and put the parchment in a small box over the fire place, quickly locked it and put a spell on the box. "Thanks are you still mad about the whole Luke thing?"

"Yes but what can I do about it, I know you were all afraid of how I would react and I can't really blame you. He's going to have a heck of a time tonight."

"What are you talking about?"

She gave a somewhat evil smile and said, "He's coming over for dinner tonight, so that we can get this thing going, and my father is having my brother come too."

Laidan laughed, "Good luck to him, did you get it set up that way on propose?"

"Kind of," she shrugged, "well in the end he'll have to meet them all anyway, it just one of my pay backs for this after all he still owes me. I'm going to go up to my office, and thanks for letting me use the place."

"No problem, I'm glad to help."

* * *

Luke was sitting in his a chair in his room thinking when a cloaked man came in without even knocking Luke was no his feet before the door was all the way open, but relaxed when he realized who it was. "So how are things going?" Ask the man.

Luke smile, "good, very good, and thanks for helping me with this."

"Not a problem, your doing me just as big a favor. I didn't know who I could get to do this, after all it not just anyone who could pull this off.."

"So is that all you wanted to know?"

"I was wondering if you could speed things up a little we're beginning to run out of time."

* * *

Luke was standing just a little bit before Kaleena's families home waiting for a moment trying to gather his thoughts about what was about to happen. Kaleena walked out of the house and looked down the way at him rolled her eye then walked over to him. "You wanted to do this, so you have to come, so get your ass moving all ready."

Luke looked at her for a moment before grabbing hold of her arm and moving toward her house, "Just act like we're a couple, got it."

"Fine just act like you can handle my brothers then."

"Why do you say that?"

"Oh you'll see," she said walking through the door. "Mother, father this is Luke," she said snuggling into Luke's side, "Where's Jeremy and Thomas?"

"They're out back I'll go get them," her mother said heading out the back door.

Her father looked Luke up and down several times before saying, "When was it that the two of you met I don't recall Kaleena ever talking about you?"

Luke smiled and replied with, "I'm sure she didn't but I'm sure that she pined away the nights where no one would know. We met five years ago at the bakers we both wanted the same loaf of bread." Kaleena wanted to role her eyes but was save from having to have her father play twenty questions with Luke by her mother coming in with her brothers.

"Luke this is Jeremy and Thomas," said her mother pointing to each one in turn, " boy's this is Luke, be nice."

"Shall we eat?" asked her father when this wife had finished speaking, as he gestured toward the table.

* * *

Dinner was going well enough Kaleena wasn't really speaking unless someone spoke to her but that wasn't really out of character for her, she was a little bothered though by the fact that her brothers really were behaving themselfs and for that fact so was her mother. She had been expecting her mother to be driving her and Luke nuts with questions about the two of them, and her brothers to be trying to drive them a part. It was bothering her so much that she finely said, "Jeremy could I speak with you outside for a moment?"

"Um, sure," he said getting up and walking outside, Kaleena fallowed him when they were outside he asked, "What?"

"Why are you and Thomas acting so," she paused looking for the right word when she couldn't think of a better word she said, "nice."

"What do you mean, we're acting like we always do?"

"No, your not! You hate everyone that I have any interest in, why aren't you trying to drive him away?"

"Well I guess unlike everyone else you guy really go good together, and we don't really have a problem with him. Why aren't you happy, your normally yelling at us to stop it now your yelling at me cause we're not?"

"I'm just thrown off, it's not the way I planed you to act."

Jeremy's brow bunched, "Is something wrong, your acting weird?"

With a sigh Kaleena answered, "No it just not normal, you can go back in I'm going to stay out here for a few minutes."

Jeremy gave her a weird look then walked back inside, Kaleena walked over to a bench in the back yard and sat down. With no one around her mask of happy cheerfulness fell and a some what sad appearance over took her. Maybe it was the stress of what she was now doing or maybe she was lying to herself about something but whatever it was it all hit her at once and she started to cry.

After a good ten minutes and no Kaleena, Luck excused himself and went outside to look for her. He found her sitting on the bench she wasn't crying any more but she looked really sad still. He walked over to her and asked, "Are you all right?"

She looked at him unable to lie or come up with any good reason for why she was in such a state so all she said was, "go away."

"What's wrong?" he asked with genuine concern.

"I just want to be alone for a few minutes, alright?"

"Is it cause of us?"

"No, yes, maybe," she heaved a sigh then added, "I don't know. Just go away."

Standing up he grabbed her hand and said, "I'm sorry," and walked off her hand sliding out of his as he walked off.


	3. 3

Well here another one written again in the wee hours of the morning, I thought I'd be nice and post another chapter before I went to bed and then have to get up and go to work. This way you can read while I have to work, see I'm nice even if I can't spell to save my life. P

* * *

Luke felt bad for Kaleena but he knew that if things worked out properly then she would be fine, but still he couldn't help but feel bad. With a quick backward glance toward her he entered the house, his attitude change to a happy cheerful one as he entered the house knowing that Kaleena wouldn't want anyone knowing what she'd been doing out there. The one good thing about the two of them was that they were both really good actors sometimes they could even fool themselves.

After Luck had sat down Jeremy asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Luke said then added, "Kaleena just wanted some air. You talked to her first was something bothering her?"

"No, she just thought we were acting weird." As he finished speaking Kaleena walked through the door with a smile on her face as if she didn't have a care in the world .

"Sorry about that I just love night air, are we going to have any pie tonight?"

"Well yes but, Kenneth and Uralla, are bring it over," said Kaleena's mother.

"What!" yelled Kaleena, Jeremy and Thomas.

"You didn't, why would you even think about asking them?" asked Thomas.

"Thomas, he's your bother and his wife and I want you to behave," said Marcus.

"It's not Kenneth dad, it's Uralla, you know that none of us can get along with her she's evil," Thomas turned to Luke and said, "Kenneth is the oldest of us kids he's a good guy but his wife she's as bad as a stormwing."

"Thomas stop that there going to be her soon, be nice to them," said their mother.

Kaleena rolled her eyes _maybe Uralla would drive Luke crazy_, almost as she thought it she realized that she wouldn't be so lucky. "You know what ma, I think I have somewhere that I need to." She never got a chance to finish as Kenneth and Uralla walked in the door.

"Well you really did have company coming over, picture that," said Uralla in a condescending tone then she added, "Kaleena it's about time."

Kaleena growled slightly in the back of her throat before saying, "Uralla I heard you got into trouble last month with some nasty flour shipment and rotten eggs. Have you managed to recover yet?"

"Kaleena," yelled her father.

Luke leaned over and whispered in Kaleena's ear, "You had her order changed to rotten eggs and maggoty flour?"

She replied with a shrug, and whispered back, "So times you just have to."

Kaleena's mother got up and grabbed the pie from Uralla telling them to have a seat as she cut the pie. Uralla replied with, "Thank you, Caitlin," after she had seated herself she went on, "Kaleena, why haven't you ever brought this cute thing home before?"

Kaleena gritted her teeth then said, "Because he was in Persopolis for the past five years."

"Oh that's to bad, but he's here now. I can't imagine what it would be like not having something like him around."

Kenneth saved her the trouble of answering by saying, "Jeremy, have you been by the smithy lately, I heard that they have a new way of working on broken weapons."

The rest of the night passed in the same fashion Uralla throwing most of her insults at Kaleena, finely when Kaleena figured that Luke had spent enough time with her family and she had suffered enough insults she excused herself to show Luke home. Most of her family didn't want to let her but they all understood that she just wanted to get away from Uralla so even though they didn't think it the wisest thing they still let her.

* * *

When they had gotten a little ways from her house Luke said, "I now understand the rotten eggs and bad flour." There was a long pause then he said, "I hate to tell you this but we need to tell you that we need to speed thing up."

"How much?"

"By the end of the month."

"Damn it Luke, fine give me something to take home so my family will know."

He fished a ring out of his pocket and handed it to her, "It's not as nice as the last one but that ring would look weird coming from someone on the right side of the law who isn't a wealthy noble."

She held it up looking at it in what little light there was outside then said, "It'll do."

"Are we going to talk about why you had been crying out behind your house?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Kaleena," he sighed, "We have to get along you know that, and despite the problems we've had in the past I'd like to think that at the very least we can be friends."

She looked at him wondering just what was going through his head, "It was nothing, I was just getting a good cry in sometimes it helps you figure out what's going on sometimes."

"Is it because of what we're doing?"

She sighed, "A little, but it important and I really like when people owe me makes my life easier. And after all what's better than having the king of thieves owe you. We've managed to stop our major fights, I like that just throwing me off a little, I mean other than playing poker we were never really around each other before, and then all we ever did was fight. Do you even know why we never got along? I don't, the only really reason I could ever come up with was that we liked fighting with each other."

"I think that might of been part of it," the Dancing Dove was just within sight, "Why don't you come in and we can talk about this a little bit?"

"I think that I need to go back, I don't want to worry my family," then she remembered that Uralla was still there and said, "You know what, why not."

When they were sitting in chairs next to the fire in Luke's room he started talking again, "Kaleena, how do you really feel about me?"

Kaleena was taken back by the question not really sure what to say, "Why would you ask?"

He took a deep breath, "Kaleena will you just promise to hear me out if I say this?"

Kaleena looked at him knowing that if any person ever said hear me out, then you usually didn't want to but knowing that she needed to prove to herself that she had grown up since he had left (no one else seemed to believe her when she said that.) She said, "Alright, I'll hear you out."

Luke looked at her for a moment then said, "I'm not sure how I should start this but, Kaleena I know that we had a bad start but," he paused not sure how to continue, "I'm just going to say this Kaleena I."

When he didn't seem to be going on she said, "You what? How am I supposed to hear you out if you wont even speak?"

After a moment more he blurted out, "I love you."

Kaleena did a double take, "What did you say? You didn't really just say," then it dawned on her, "you did just say. What am I supposed to say to that?"

"Well how about something other than that?"

"I have to go, I don't want to worry my family," with that said she left the room and headed home the whole time asking herself, _why would he say that? Did he really mean it?_ But the real question running through her head was_ HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT HIM?_ When she got home she didn't even talk to anyone she just went into her room to think.

* * *

Luke wasn't sure how to take Kaleena's answer or rather her lack of an answer no matter how she acted it didn't change how he felt about her but it did kind of brake his heart. He just wished that she would have gave him some answer, as he sat there thinking Jordan came into his room.

"What are you worried about, your face it scrunched up?"

"Oh nothing I just talked to Kaleena and."

Jordan cut him off, "What she do to you this time?" Jordan couldn't help but feel a little over protective of Luke, they had been good friends almost all their life, they were like brothers. And no matter what ever happened he always saw Luke as putting other people before himself (even if it wasn't true) and so he felt that Kaleena was some how in the wrong even if he didn't know what it was about.

"Jordan stop it, Kaleena didn't do anything, what do you want?"

"Oh I wanted to tell you that someone has been asking about get this not you but Kaleena and it's not the type that's normally looking for her."

"What type is it?"

"Your not going to like it, it's the noble type."

"Who?"

"Sir Myles."

"What's he doing asking about her?"

"I couldn't tell you, but I can tell you this the questions that are being asked they aren't the kind that make you think that it's anything good."

"Was he asking about Kaleena or Doll Face?"

"See now this is the part your not going to like."

"Just spit it out."

"Both, I'm not sure if he's put the two of them together or not but it still could be big trouble even if he doesn't put them together. No ones told you this yet but she made a big sale, Liadan told me that she didn't really want to do it but I don't really know. I can tell you this much ever since that sale she's been acting weird, but not really in any way that you can put your finger on."

"How long ago was this sale?"

"About two months ago, I just really want to say this right now and I'll never say it again, I think she's trouble."

"Well you have one thing right, you're never going to say that again," he thought for a moment then said, "I'm going to go talk to her and find out what's going on."

* * *

Kaleena was sitting on her bed thinking when Luke knocked on her window, she got up and walked over opening up the window saying, "What are you doing here someone might see you?"

"We need to talk and not about us, let's go over to Liadan's, to your office, it's important."

"Alright," Kaleena answered she could tell by the way she way he was speaking that it was really important. With in fifteen minutes they were sitting in Kaleena's office with the door lock and a double check of every spell in the room. After they were sure that everything was good she ask, "all right then what's this all about?"

"What big item did you sell about two months ago that you didn't want to sell?" Luke said just jumping in.

"What, oh, it wasn't really that important, it was who I got stuck selling to, that's why I didn't want to sell."

"Well then who was it?"

"Well I'm always careful about who I sell to even if I'm selling crap, but I kind of got stuck on this one selling to a rather well respected noble who I was sure was just trying to get people into trouble. I'm not even really sure of his name, the other thing was that he wasn't Tortallen he was Scanran noble looking to cause trouble here and I didn't actually sell to him. He was looking to find people to work for him to help cause trouble here so that he could use them as escape goats. It took almost every person who owed me to get rid of him and theirs still that chance of him coming back."

"That's what Jordan was talking about?"

"Did he say that I'd been acting weird since then cause if so then yes. I have this feeling that he's going to come back and be really pissed at me, Mithros only knows what he would do if he ever found me again."

Just then there was a knock on the door in Liadan's signal saying that it was her with someone that they needed to talk to. Kaleena looked at Luke as she got up and went to the door carefully opening it so that she could react in what ever fashion she needed to. When it was opened it revealed Liadan with a man in a cloak, Kaleena looked over to Luke giving him the look of I have a clue but can't really be working with "him".

Liadan showed the man to one of the seats in the room then headed out when she reached Kaleena who was still at the door she whispered in to her ear while facing away from the man in the cloak and Luke, "He was insistent and starting to bother the girls, you know I wouldn't have brought him up here if it wasn't important. I know how you hate known people just coming in, but I was afraid that the questions he was starting to ask could cause you some trouble."

Kaleena nodded then closed the door behind Liadan locking it one more time then turned around to look at the man in the cloak. Once the door had been lock the man took the cloak off his head revealing himself to be the Baron George Cooper, he looked at her then said, "You must be Doll Face, I had wanted to ask you to help with a friend you made a few month back but now I find myself wondering why Luke is here."

"Don't," answered Luke, "I'll save you the time of wondering, George let me introduce you to my wife Kaleena."

"Wait a minute your wife, I hadn't heard that you got married yet?"

"That's because we've been estranged for five years and I never told you, we're working on making it look more proper."

"Wait a minute, your married to Doll Face, well doesn't that just make things easier, I was just going to ask her if she would mind becoming involved in this mess."

* * *

Oh aren't I just evil I still haven't told you what the mess is but I can promise this much it WILL be in the next chapter. I'll try to get it out as fast as I have been doing but I can't make any promises because tomorrow I open at work then it's two days in a row of closings. But I should at the latest have it up by Thursday as I have Wednesday and Thursday off. 


	4. 4

Well here it is the next chapter, I hope you like it, I'm trying to make the chapters all over five pages long. Well let me know what you think I'll try to get the next one out just as fast. )

* * *

Kaleena sighed then muttered to herself, "I got to get out of this line of work."

"Did you say something?" Luke asked.

Kaleena laughed, "I didn't say anything, so why don't one of you tell me what this is all about. And the whole story, I'm tired of hearing half, I hate having to put the whole story together from bits and pieces. And don't think I wont call any of you on holding out on me, I'm not in the mood for it."

Luke looked at George then said, "You tell her, I'm not about to start pissing her off again."

George looked at both of them in turn before speaking, "Alright then, I suppose I should tell the whole thing as I haven't even told Luke the whole thing yet."

Kaleena couldn't help herself she just blurted out, "It's the Scanran isn't it? he seemed real intent on making trouble for other people. And let me guess this rumors been going around saying that I've dealt with him and your think of working that to your advantage. Well that wont really work you could almost say that I've managed to tick him off more than anyone else," she gave a laugh then added. "That is if he knew everything I did to get rid of him."

Luke raised his eye brows and George just laughed as if she had just bet him to the punch. "Actually believe it or not I had heard all of that, when you go through as many people as you did to get him away from you, you can't really keep that a secret for long form my people. Although I'll give you this people are very good at keeping one secret about you and that's who you really are."

That caused both Luke and Kaleena to bust out laughing when Luke had calmed down he said, "You can't but her face to a name in your head can you," He turned to Kaleena and said, "I know understand how you do it, people just can't put it together."

"No it's the fact that I hold myself differently, I'm more like two different people and I employ different technics in both, even though they're more or less the same job."

Luke turned to George and said, "She's the only daughter of Marcus Cadder the merchant."

George looked at her closely as he did she changed her posture taking a less watchful and less aggressive position and putting a sweet smile on her face then he saw it. "That really is amazing, I know your families shop and I've seen you several times but I'd never have put it together."

"I wouldn't be doing this job if you could, I've spent to much time into that shop to throw it away just to make more money on the side. It's kind of funny really, I mean I'm know for my pretty face you'd think that people would put it together."

"But that's just it," said Luke, "Doll Face is known for her face not Kaleena, you know I never noticed it before but when your not being Doll Face you kind of hide your face. Doll Face is all about the face and Kaleena's more about the figure." After he said that Kaleena changed her posture to Doll face again slightly insecure.

George then interrupted the two of them saying, "As I was trying to say it is about the Scanran, his name is Mallard Gerth and he wishes that the war with Scanra hadn't ended. He'll do almost anything to start it up again and if he can't then he'll settle with making life miserable for the royal family and anyone and everyone around them."

"That I'll believe, have either you meet him personally?" Kaleena asked. When both shook their heads no she said, "You have no idea how much trouble this guy is, he's very intense in a bad way, overpoweringly so. I've dealt with a lot of people and never have I felt so intimidated about someone as this guy. If this is really about I don't know that I want to help you with this."

Her reaction left Luke slightly worried he knew that Kaleena had dealt with some of the worst in since she had been doing her job and he had never heard of her acting as she was right now. It was kind of fear striking in his mind knowing that their must be some big reason for her acting this way, with out even a moments hesitation he asked George to step outside for a few minutes so he could talk to Kaleena. When George had left the room he asked, "What is it about him that you fear so much?"

Kaleena looked at him with scared eyes saying, "It's not what he wanted or even what he said, it's more like what he didn't say."

"Which was what?"

"Anything nice."

"Why would that strike fear into your heart?"

"You don't get it, even the worst scum says something nice, even if it's only a slip or to get you to believe something else, but he never did. His heart's cold and he'll do anything to get what he wants and I mean anything. There's a point where people set boundaries for themselves that they wont ever cross his guy doesn't have those or if he ever did he crossed them a long time ago. Do you have any clue what it's like to look into the face of a person like that, it's like looking into the face of pure evil." She took a deep breath slightly shaking with a deep fear that she could never really name, it all but broke Luke's heart to see her like this. "But I guess that means that I should do it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if I take it like this than I really can't not help, it the kind of thing that would cripple most people with fear. And there aren't that many who can really handle being around him for any length of time, I can but I can't really say anything about the state of mind I'll be in after wards."

Luke looked hard at Kaleena trying to figure out just what she was really thinking after a moment he said, "If your really sure that you what to help, other wise I don't want you doing it, no I wont let you do it."

"I don't but I do, in the end it comes down to the fact that I know no one will really work if I think I know what your up to. "

"What do you mean?"

"There are not that many people in the world that could handle having anything to do with the guy, and I'm sure that when we let George back in that's what he's going to ask. As long as I know what I have to deal with I can get myself ready for it no one will ever know what's really going through my head."

"If that's what you say but."

Kaleena cut him off, "Don't go thinking that you can protect me for him, and as it stands I still have the risk of having to deal with him. And if you have to deal with him your going to need all your strength just to deal with him yourself. He's has this vibe that surrounds him it's hard for people to deal with, Liadan only meet him once and she didn't know that I was dealing with him. After she meet him she locked herself in her office and wouldn't come out for three days, even the girls stopped working because of the vibe and they didn't even meet him."

"Your not serious, Liadan deals with some of the worst sometimes she doesn't."

Kaleena cut him off again, "Oh so your say that you think that I'm more likely to over react about someone than Liadan. I can held as much if not more than most I'll have you know. Look I've decided now I'm going to do it."

Luke was a little taken back by what she was saying, but she had made good point, and if what she said about Liadan was true then she was stronger than he had thought she was. "Fine, you win."

"Alright than let him back in and we can get this over with, I'm tired and I need to get some sleep in tonight some time or I'll be bitting everyone's head off."

Luke walked over to the door letting George back in, "Sorry about that just need to talk something over so what is it that you want us to do?"

George sighed knowing that sometimes it was better not to ask questions even if it was he's job to know all about everything going on every where so he just jumped into what he wanted form them saying. "What we were wondering was if you would actually work with Mallard Gerth."

That was what Kaleena had expected him to ask but she wondered if it was a good idea for her to leave out one important fact that she hadn't told a soul about this Mallard guy. And that was that for some reason she was slightly seduced by him, but she was stronger than that and she knew better than to give in. But still to have to deal with a man that struck fear in the hearts of those who knew him and to run the risk of being seduced by him she was going to have to be on her guard not only for her own sake but also for Luke's sake. She knew that Mallard was interested in her and that it would be big trouble for Luke if she didn't handle it just right. Now things had taken a turn that when Luke had just come to her and asked to help him she would have never imagined, now she had to convince her family, protect their image, help the kingdom survive a mad man, and protect Luke and herself from him and the funny thing was that she was the one holding out on everyone with information.

"Why do you want to help him?"

"We don't but we need to know what he's up to and have some method of controlling the situation."

Kaleena gave a short snort then said, "I don't know how much control you can really have, but I will give you this, you'll probable have all the control your going to be able to get. Your best bet is to get rid of him as fast as you can."

"We'd like to but it's not that easy, he's very careful about everything going on around him."

"Not as much as you'd think, he just scares people away really easily. I think that people just find him extremely intimidating."

"Well be that as it may we don't really have the people to deal with him, so think you can handle it?"

Kaleena gave a shrug, "I'll do it, handling it that another story, but I can do what you want."

"Consider it done," said Luke.

"Great, then I'll keep in contact with you every now and then. Oh and it would be really great for you to have your um, WEDDING, just after next month. Your father is going to getting a title then, that way even more people can hear about it." George added the last part on his way out the door.

"Great just what we need," Kaleena grumbled to herself. "Well now that is over with what were we talking about?"

"I don't really remember any more," answered Luke with a sigh.

Kaleena looked at the candle on her desk it was late even for her it couldn't be more than an hour before sun up and that didn't make her happy if she went home now she wasn't getting any sleep. There wasn't even anyone else awake in the building but the two of them, "I guess I'm going to have to come up with one good excuse cause I'm sleeping in my office tonight," she said to herself then to Luke she said, "Why don't you head out of here so a girl can get some sleep. It's times like this that I'm glad I move to the top floor of a brothel and didn't take the bed out."

Luke looked at her then said, "No way I'll just sleep here also it to early and it's quitter here in the mornings."

"Well your not staying in here," she stated flatly.

"Ah, and why not? We are married after all doesn't it look weird when you make your husband always sleep some where else?" he teased.

"Oh but you are forgetting one thing we're not supposed to be married yet," She answered in almost the same tone he had used. He gave her a sad puppy dog look and she said, "fine if you really want to sleep here you can sleep on the floor." She garbed a blanket and threw it at him then climbed into her bed, she was a little confused with her own thoughts going over the day in her head mostly thinking about what Luke had said earlier.

She knew that she did really care for Luke she just really hated admitting it to herself, and with what she was going to do now she was scared for both of them. Not knowing how she was going to handle being around Mallard again or how Mallard would react to knowing she was married she had a lot to chew on when she got up in the morning.

As she was running these thoughts through her head Luke looked at her as she climbed into bed some what surprised at how easily she had given in to his staying in her office over night. After a few minutes of just staring at her he smiled blowing out the candles in the room and laid himself out on the floor thinking, _maybe she really does feel something for me after all_.

* * *

The day had started long ago by the time that Kaleena opened her eyes she didn't move she just stared at the ceiling she wasn't really thinking about anything the only thought in her head was _this is not my room_. Then it hit her that's right she was in her office she was still just laying there in there bed when she heard a sort of snorty snore of someone sleeping in the room, she rolled over onto her side and looked to where the noise had come form and there laying on the floor about ten feet from her bed was Luke. He look like he was sleeping peaceful the only really problem was that every now and then he'd give a soft sort of snore.

Kaleena shook her head lightly as she stretched her muscles she wondered what Liadan would think if she knew that Luke had stayed in her office with her that night. She slowly sat up in her bed wondering if she should wake Luke or let him get some sleep knowing that he likely wasn't going to get much soon. She decided that it was easiest to just let him sleep so she climbed out of bed and looked down at her clothes aside for being wrinkled here and there they didn't look to bad, she was sure that her hair was a mess but it didn't really bother her. She knew that she would have to wait for Luke to get up so that when they left she could get her office all lock up, but that was fine she needed a good excuse to give her family for why she was gone when they got up.

She walked over to her desk carefully so as not to wake Luke up, she looked down at the paper on top of all the others and was suddenly very glad that everyone had been to busy to be nosy last night. The paper that sat there was one that if you glanced at it there wasn't anything special but if you really read it then there might be a problem. She read it over one more time:

_I know your not going to like this one "Doll Face" and I hate _

_to be the one to tell you this, but_ _it looks like you've got big_

_problems with this one. Not only can I not find a soul that's _

_very heard of it but this guy is trouble and that now makes_

_two big trouble makers in your path. The only thing that I _

_really know is that their's no way that I or anyone else is_

_going to find it. Please drop this one he may not seem it but_

_I'm getting the feeling that he might have something to do _

_with the other guy and if that is the case, well you know._

_With all that said I did find The Spell, for the Short Man_

_and your really going to love this one it wasn't any where _

_you would expect. It was in that public library in the _

_City of the Gods, I've sent it with this letter as I'm sure _

_you've already seen. I'm also getting the Seer Stone, I _

_shouldn't have to much trouble with that one but it's _

_going to take longer then expected, figured you like the_

_warning on that one as I know how it can be._

_I really didn't want to put this in here but the Scanran is_

_asking around here about you and I think he's trying to _

_get people here. I just wanted to say that to you, and _

_before I send this off I just wanted to ask you one question _

_for you to rap your head around. Do you realize that you_

_almost have a better network than the than any other_

_country? Just rap your head around that one._

With that the letter ended maybe it wasn't that bad but she knew that if Luke or maybe even George had seen it they might start asking questions. Taking the letter over to the fire she threw it in as she stirred the coals and started it back up putting a log on it. She walked back over to her desk and sat down looking at some of the other papers on her desk she was sorting them and putting them away when Luke finely woke up. "Oh so you finely woke up, get yourself up and ready to go I need to head home so that I can tell them all some fantastic lie about my where about."

Luke just stared at her groggily for a good five minutes before his head clicked into any kind of working order, "So yeah, I'll get going, should I come by tonight or do you thinks they need a little time before I come by again?"

Kaleena laughed softly before she said, "Yeah go ahead and come over, now get your ass out of here so I can get my room locked up."

* * *

Kaleena was staring at her father all but praying that he would buy her story not that she doubted he would, she didn't get into the business that she was in you got really good at coming up with lies. Her father didn't like what she had told him he believed it, her mother on the other hand seem excited with what she had told them. So much so that she wouldn't leave her alone for at least three hours it wasn't until Kaleena said, "Mom do you think that you could back off? I know your happy that I'm know engaged but really your acting like I don't even need air. I have things to do today to you know, please back off a little all right."

"Sweety, I'm not smothering you, if that what you thinking but I'm just trying."

Kaleena cut her off, "Mom, shut up, I'm going out right now and your going to leave me alone alright," she said it so forcefully that her mother was shocked and couldn't help but do as she said. "Luke's coming over for dinner again so save you energy for that all right." With that said she walked out of her families home and headed toward their shop so what faster than she would have normally would have.

When she got into the shop she saw her brother Thomas helping a customer who was trying to get something way to cheap, after a few minutes of listening to all of this she jumped in. "Martha don't you dare try that, your going to pay what it's worth and nothing less we have to make money too you know."

Martha frowned, "That's not fair I hate it when you're here go away already Thomas was doing fine on his own."

"Weather or not you hate it isn't my problem you still come here all the time so get over it."

"Fine," she said throwing the coins on the counter and walking out.

"That's not very nice Kaleena."

"Your just to kind hearted for you own good, you'll never make any money in this business if you don't change your ways. Luke's coming over again tonight so, whatever. Look I need you and Jeremy to keep her off my back, ever since I told her that we're engaged she wont leave me alone."

"Alright I'll see what I can do, are you going to hang around here?"

"No but if I hear that because of you that we're losing money I will come back and you wouldn't like that now would you?" With that she smiled and walked out the shop, then she frowned what was she going to do now she didn't really have anything to do. That wasn't something that she was used to, she always had something to do and to not have something to do.

So she just walked around the different shops which was something she hadn't done in quite a while, browsing around places was kind of fun. Not that she would ever buy any of it. She unlike most had no problem with taking stolen things, most the things she owned had at one time belonged to someone else who had no intention of giving them up. She knew that she was going to have to stop some time but she didn't care about it right now, right now she really needed to work on making everyone believe she and Luke were really getting married. Which was a little bit funny when you think about it they were already married, but no one knew it and now she had to get people to think that they were going to get married after spending so much time making people think that she wasn't. Well maybe it was just not telling them that she was but she didn't care.

As she walked around she ran into Jordan, who didn't seem like he was happy to see her, "What did you do to Luke last night?" He asked angrily giving her a slight push.

"Jordan, back off, I didn't do anything to him."

"Right, and he wasn't up set last night after you left."

"Jordan, it's none of your business what goes on between the two of us. Just because your in love with him."

Before she could even finish he landed a punch on the side of her face, she had expected him to but not quit so fast as she reeled back from the punch she crouched down and looked at him he wasn't just going to settle for just the sucker punch he wanted to fight her. She decided that she was going to have to end this fast before they started attracting any more attention so she went in as fast as she could so as to catch him of guard and landed one on the side of his jaw dropping him out cold. She quickly turned around and headed away before someone recognized her and headed toward Liadan's so she could deal with her eye before she headed back home.

Liadan looked shocked to see her face when she showed up immediately showing her to the back in kitchen to help her take care of her face. "What happened?"

"Jordan."

"Luke's not going to like this."

"I realize that, I already have enough to deal with now I have to deal with this too."

"Sorry, let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Will do, trust me on that one I will."


	5. 5

Well aren't you people lucky I have another chapter for you, I got really into the writing mood and out popped this one let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it I'm not sure how much longer but I'm going to start getting the real story soon. It's just so hard when the characters start throwing thing like the last two chapters at you, there's just to much story to how that got to where they are. They'd hate to make it easy on me most of this chapter and the last one I hadn't even planed on it just happened, so let me know what you think and I'll keep pumping them out for you.

* * *

Kaleena looked in the mirror at her face even with the help of a healer you could still tell that she had been hit in the face but it wasn't anything other than a faint bruise. She knew that even if she could convince her family that is wasn't anything their was no way that Luke would buy the story tho. And she hated the thought of telling him the truth. The fact of the matter was that she understood how Jordan felt and she knew that Luke really had no clue about the way Jordan felt about him. She really didn't blame him Jordan for punching her she even kind of thought that she deserved it but damn if it didn't make things difficult for her.

After a while of staring in the mirror she ask Liadan to send someone for Luke so she could talk to him about it. While she waited for Luke she thought of how to tell him about this with out him getting up set about the whole thing. Just before Luke showed up she ask Liadan to see if someone could find Jordan, to which Liadan jokingly said, "Your really starting to abuse this friendship of ours."

When Luke came in she had her head behind a bunch of papers, "What's up, I thought we were just going to meet up at your families dinner?"

Kaleena looked up at him putting down the papers and said before he could speak, "Don't freak out but I need to explain to you this." She gestured toward her face, again cutting him off before he could speak she said, "I don't want you getting mad at him."

This time Luke managed to get a word in, he growled "Who did it?"

Kaleena glared at him, "I'll have you know I can take care of myself, and if your going to be like that I'm not going to tell you."

"Alright explain."

"Well it was Jordan."

Luke cut her off from speaking, virtually spiting, "Jordan did this." with such anger that Kaleena was a little scared.

So with just as much force she said, "I told you not to get mad, it's not his fault and if you do something stupid I'LL make sure YOU regret it. He just overly concerned with your happiness, so lay off him."

Just as she finished speaking Liadan showed Jordan into the room Luke threw himself at him the minute he saw him, Kaleena threw herself at Luke, Liadan moved away. Kaleena to the amazement managed to pull Luke off Jordan and knock the wind out of him at the same time. Putting herself between the two of them she looked at Luke and said, "What did I tell you, now both of you sit down you two have to talk, because I want this fixed for all our sakes. I've got to many problems as it is to have to deal with this too."

"Why are you doing this?" Jordan asked her moving over to a chair, he had a busted lip and a black eye.

"I'm doing this because I respect your friendship and the last thing I want is to start fighting with you again. If you two don't fix this then everything is going to get harder for all of as."

Luke looked at her like she was crazy, "Why aren't you mad at him?"

Kaleena shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me, other than the fact that I really don't want to have to come up with another excuse today it doesn't bother me. So are you going to fix this or am I supposed to bet the two of you up." she added the last part jokingly but there was some grain of truth to it tho she might not be able to actually bet them up she would give it one good shoot.

"Fine then," Luke said, "Why did you try to bet up my wife?"

Kaleena rolled her eyes as Jordan answered some what put out, "You were so upset last night, I just couldn't let her get away with making you upset."

Luke some what confused asked, "Why would you even think that it's no reason to fight her?"

When Jordan didn't answer Kaleena said, "If you don't tell him I'll tell him, is that how you really want it?"

He looked at her then to Luke after a moment he said, "Alright," he took a deep breath, "Luke, what Kaleena is trying to get out in the air is that, I, um, I ah. Oh Mithros help me this is hard. I , Luke I'm, I'm in love with you."

Luke just looked at him blankly not quite understanding what had just been said, "Like a brother right?" he said finely after a few minutes of confusing.

"No," Jordan said sadly, "More like I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"This is some kind of joke, right?"

Kaleena looked at him and said, "Luke, he's serious. You have to understand this." As she was speaking Jordan started to make a run for the door. Kaleena then did something that she hated doing and always avoided she used her gift to lock the door so that no one was going out or coming in then she said, "sit back down Jordan, your not leaving till this is fixed."

Both men and Liadan looked at her only Liadan knew how much she hated using her gift the other two were just shock that she had the gift. "Kaleena," Liadan started, "I really think maybe you should give the two of them a little time with this."

Kaleena looked at her then said, "I wish that there was time for that, but there isn't. We have to have both of you behind us on this one and to do that this has to get worked out so no one is leaving this room until you two," she said turning around to look at Luke and Jordan, "have to have some sort of understanding, I want you to on speaking terms."

* * *

Luke was sitting at the Cadder family table for the second time in as many days, being congratulated by everyone but Marcus about the wedding. After having had the afternoon that he had had he was almost relived to be with Kaleena's family, he and Jordan were on speaking terms but not much else, which was what Kaleena was just going to have to live with. The truth was that if he had learned about what Jordan had done he would have likely killed him so he supposed that Kaleena had done the two of them a favor by keeping him from killing Jordan.

Luke looked at everyone in turn accepting the congratulations form everyone in turn, he was a little taken back by the fact that everyone but Marcus seemed to be paying more attention to him then Kaleena. It hadn't been this bad the last time he had been there, but it was really starting to get on his nerves. He really loved her even if she didn't love him the same, after a good ten minutes of it he said, "Kaleena I was thinking that maybe we should get married soon."

"huh," Kaleena said caught off guard by the fact that someone was talking to her, if she had known that it was going to be like this she wouldn't have ask Thomas and Jeremy to be nice.

"I said that I think we should just go out and get married," he paused a moment then getting up said, "right now." He grabbed her arm pulling her up and out the door.

Kaleena just blinked rapidly not really understanding what was going on her family chasing after them it didn't take long to lose them in the city quickly running toward the closest temple. When they made it Kaleena asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry I know this is rushing things a little but I couldn't take it I had to get you out of there."

Kaleena blink somewhat confused, "um Luke what are you talking about?"

"I couldn't take the way they were treating you other than your father none of them care about you."

Kaleena took a deep breath her hand going up to cover her eyes as she was thinking how to take this information, "Luke I understand what your saying but your not being rational about any of this. You can't act like this, especially if we're going to do this. You have to be rational about all of this my families not going to be anything compared to Mallard. Maybe I should have said this earlier but."

She was cut off by her family running up the way toward them as soon as Luke saw them he whispered in her ear, "Let's just say we did it, it wouldn't be a lie and it would save us the trouble." He slipped a ring on her finger just before her family was close enough to really see what he was doing.

Thomas was the first one to reach them panting he said, "what do you think your doing?" he was saying it to Kaleena which of course upset Luke so as the rest of the family managed to catch up he grabbed her left hand and thrust it out at them.

To say that Kaleena was mad was an understatement she was ready to kill Luke but she knew that she couldn't do that right now if they were going to do this like they were supposed to. So she smiled if anyone actually knew what was going through her head they would have been frightened, it was fortunate for Luke that he didn't.

"Oh Great Mother Goddess," her mother said when she caught her breath, "I wanted to plan a wedding."

Kaleena rolled her eyes frustrated and pissed, her father was upset almost sad about the whole thing, and Jeremy seemed taken back, "Your married now?" was all he said.

"I'm going to take her home now, we'll come by and get her thing tomorrow," with that said he dragged her off.

After a few minutes Kaleena yanked herself away and turned toward her office, that was the first clue that Luke was in trouble she didn't say a word. She angrily walked in causing people to turn and look at the two of them as they made there way up the stairs of the brothel. She didn't speak until after she was in her office with the door lock and extra sound proofing spells in place. Then she yelled, "What in Mithros name did you think you were doing? No, nothing you did today was, acceptable, if you can't handle the way my family acts toward me then there's no way you can handle Mallard. I haven't told you this but the whole reason I didn't want to work with him is the fact that it was clear to me that he had a thing for me. You can't be this over protective if we're going to do this."

"Not only that but I really hate what you've put my father through now, if you don't apologize to my father tomorrow I swear I'll kill you with my own two hands. I could care less about the rest of my family but my father doesn't deserve this. He's a good man, and I care about him, you have to make it right."

Luke was a little taken back by the way she was acting he had never thought she would take it like this but then again he hadn't thought he would act this way. For the first time in his life he hadn't been able to control himself and he knew what she was saying was true but he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry," he said it and meant it, "I really couldn't help it."

"You don't get it, that's the problem, you couldn't help it."

"I wasn't really ready for it but I will be ready for it. Well we'll work on it we still have at least a month or so before we'll have to deal with him."

Kaleena shook her head, "No, we don't more like half a month."

"What are you talking about?"

"Luke I've dealt with him before I went to a lot of trouble to get rid of him, I also have someone keeping an eye on him. Someone once told me that my network is better than any other spy network out there. He's going to be back in about half a month, your going to have to get your act together fast. So fix things with my father fast."

Luke wasn't sure how to take everything she had just told him but he was happy that she wasn't going to kill him if he fixed things with her father. He did wonder though how she had such a big network were some of his people working for her maybe some of the royal spy. "So are things fixed now?"

She glared at him, "Do you honestly think things are fixed?"

"Ok, point taken, I'll tell you what I'll go talk to him now." He quickly made his way out the door as Liadan made her way to the door.

"What's going on is everything all right?"

Luke quickly rushed past her Liadan closed the door behind herself. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, did you know that Luke get really jealous some time?"

"No, why?" after just a moment she said, "what he do?"

Kaleena spent the next hour telling Liadan what happened after she had finished Liadan said, "I knew that he really like you but I never thought that he'd act like that. Do you think that he'll be able to handle this?"

"I have no idea, but I hope so, I let him talk me into this he had better get his act together."

"Well since you're here do plan to stay here a while," Kaleena nodded, "I heard you stayed the night with Luke here."

"Yes, I did, I had him sleep on the floor. But why do you ask if I'm staying a while?"

"Because I really like knowing who's here and I was wondering if you'd have drinks with me and Rose she's taking the night off and she wanted to talk to you." Kaleena gave her a look asking what about, "I have no clue but I think she want you to get her something."

"Fine why not I haven't got anything else to do and drinking always helps me claim down, you want to drink up here?"

"I'll go get her and I'll even bring up the good stuff while I'm at it."

* * *

Luke had just finished talking with Marcus, he hadn't been happy about what Luke had done but he understood once it had been explained to him, he even said that he wouldn't hold it against him. So as far as Luke could tell things had gone over really well given how they had started. Once he had gotten back to Kaleena's office to speak to her things were a little bit different though, he found her drunk with Liadan and one of Liadan's girls drunkenly rambling on. Once Liadan had noticed him she slurred, "Come on in, have a drink with us."

Luke look each one of them over before saying, "I think you guys have had enough, Liadan she can't even sit up with out falling over," he pointed toward Rose. "And your not in much better shape yourself there." After about ten minutes of urging he finely manage to get them to let him carry them to their rooms, by the time he got back up to Kaleena's office she had poured herself another glass and was drinking it down. "And how are you handling your drinking tonight?"

"Fine," she said without slurring but her eyes had a drunken glaze to them and she spoke a little slow.

He closed the door and locked it then walked over to her saying, "I'm sorry about the way I acted, it was in bad taste. I did manage to smooth things over with your father though."

She looked at him with glassy eyes and said, "That's good."

Then she tried to stand up but fell Luke caught her before she hit the ground, "I think it's time for you to go to bed you've had more than enough to drink for one night." He then carried her over to the bed and laid her down tucking her in nice and neatly saying, "Good night Kaleena, sleep well." Then he grabbed the blanket he had used the night before and laid himself out on the floor.

* * *

Some time about three hours latter Kaleena still drunk half woke up groggily pulled herself out of bed and stood up trying to look around the dark room. When she realized that it was to dark to see she started stumbling around the room till she managed to trip over Luke sleeping on the floor. Luke shoot up looking around then realized that Kaleena was on top of him said, "What are you doing?"

Groggily she mumbled, "I'm trying to figure out where I am, where am I?"

Luke shook his head tiredly saying, "Your in your office, let me help you back into bed before you hurt yourself."

He helped her walk back to her bed and lay back down, he was just on his way back to where he was sleeping when she said, "You know you can lay on the bed too, it's weird you sleeping on the floor."

"That's alright I don't mind the floor."

"No it's not, here," she said forcefully as she pulled back the covers and scooted over giving him room to get in. "I'm drunk, when I'm drunk I wander something awful, so if nothing else you can keep me for getting up any more."

Luke wasn't sure if it was the best idea but the bed was far more inviting than the floor and if what she said was true about her wandering as it seem from her tripping over him then it would be just as much a favor for her as a soft bed for himself. With that thought in his head he climbed into the bed and feel asleep.


	6. 06

Well here's the next chapter I hope you all enjoy it I'm plaining to have about one chapter a week up, I've finely gotten someone to prof-read for me so special thanks to **_that1girl _**as she's helped me get rid of my spelling mistakes. Please let me know what you think and I'll get that next one out just as fast for you.

* * *

Kaleena was more comfortable then she had been in a long time, she was half awake and not really sure if she wanted to wake up. She was sure that she had a hang over but for some reason it didn't really feel like it, which was weird. Normally if she had been drinking like she had last night she would have been in pain not just a hang over but many bumps and bruises from where she had fallen. Come to think of it she mumbled to herself, "why am I in bed? I never wake up in bed."

She shot up immediately only realizing then that there was someone in the bed with her and that the someone had an arm around her. And in her shooting up she had woken that someone up, the scene that fallowed would be considered a bit funny by anyone looking at it though for Kaleena and Luke it was not. Luke shoot up just seconds after Kaleena some how the two of them managed to get tangled up in each others arms and legs as they did so. The end result of this whole thing was Luke laying on top of Kaleena so tangled up that it took a good ten minutes for them to untangle themselves from the sheets and each other (don't ask me how a person can get that tangled I have no idea but they managed it.)

"I'm sorry," Luke said as he finished getting one of the blankets out of the problem.

Kaleena wanted so desperately to say, "Yeah you should be, this is all your fault," but when she opened her mouth this is what came out, "that's all right, it's not really your fault. But what are you doing in my bed?"

"You don't remember do you?" when all he got in response was an are you crazy look he went on, "Last night you got up and started wandering around, you tripped over me." A look of 'oh no' began to cross her face as he continued, "so I helped you back into bed, then you said that I should just sleep in the bed with you because you wander when you're drunk."

She cut him off before he could go on, "What a great way to start a morning," she mumbled. "Alright then I hate doing this but," she took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for the way I acted, although I'm not really all that sorry as you kind of deserved it given your behavior yesterday."

"Um, Kaleena, what are you apologizing for? Other than tripping over me nothing you did yesterday warrants an apology."

"Oh, well then I take it back." With that said she managed to climb out of bed and walk over to her desk. When she reached it she realized that she hadn't changed her clothes in almost two days and her hair felt greasy, and she didn't keep any clothes in her office other than one she might wear if she had some "work" to do. With a sigh she said, "I suppose you're going to stay here for a while."

"I hadn't intended to leave anytime soon."

"Fine then I'm going to talk to Liadan for a bit if you leave lock the door," with that said she left her office and walked down to Liadan's room and knocked on the door. When she heard Liadan ask "who is it?" she answered, "Kaleena, can I come in?"

The answer she got was a somewhat slurred, "Yeah, sure come in."

What Kaleena found when she opened the door didn't really surprise her Liadan was some still drunk from the night before, there was a bottle of some alcoholic beverage that she was sure wasn't even legal. Scratch that it wasn't legal, she remembered getting the stuff for Liadan about a year ago, it was a beverage for Tyra it was strong stuff but that's not why it was legal, the reason it was legal was the fact that if was full of a strong magic. Magic that gave the drinker a feeling of pure bliss and raised the level of magic that is if the drinker had the gift, which was the problem with the drink though people who drank it some times did really stupid and bad things. However, Liadan was good about it and never caused trouble when she drank it.

"What up, what do you need, how can I help?" Liadan was slurring.

Kaleena rolled her eyes, "I was wondering if I could get a bath and barrow some clothes? But maybe I should talk to one of your girls," she started to leave Liadan's room when she turned around and added, "You know you really should be careful with that stuff, it's not legal for a reason." With that said she headed out to find one of the girls to help her after about five minute of coming up with no one she walked into the kitchen there she found Beatrice the cook. "Beatrice, hi, you wouldn't happen to know if there's any extra clothes around here anywhere would you?"

"There are some things in the back room at the end of the hall and if you would like a bath I suggest that you take it now before any of the girls get up other wise you'll get stuck with cold dirty water. The bath is set up in the room right next to the one I told you to look for the clothes in, anything else you need?"

"Um, can I get something to eat when I'm done?"

Beatrice gave a laugh, "of course you can, anyone who stays in this house can eat, you silly girl. Now go before everyone wakes up."

Kaleena walked into the room that Beatrice had mentioned what she found was a little bit surprising the room was full of clothes for every country, shape, size and color you could imagine. Well to a point any ways after all they were meant for "ladies of the evening" but they were far better than anything she had up stairs, all she had to do was find the most conservative outfit in the room and she would be fine.

It took her a while to find one that she thought would work for her, finely she had settled on a dress that was only slightly lower cut than tasteful in polite society. The color was a bright red which made you stand out when you wore it, and not to mention that it clung a little bit more to every curve of the body a bit more than she would have liked. After she had the dress she went over to the bathing room luckily it hadn't taken her so long that everyone had woken up so she got to get a good bath in. Once she had finished and dressed she walked into the kitchen again to get some food, Beatrice was gone but there was food laid out so she grabbed enough for herself and being nice some for Luke and headed back upstairs to her office.

When she got back in Luke was making the bed with his back to her, "I'm being nice I brought you up some food," she said holding a plate out toward him as he turned around. Once he had done so his mouth dropped open and he stared at her. "Is there something wrong?" she asked some what crossly.

Luke blinked a couple of times before speaking, once he had gotten a hold of himself he said, "What are you wearing?"

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"No it's just…um… it's a bit… well I know where you got it that's all I'm saying."

"Is it that bad I thought I'd found one that would be alright, after all it's not like there's very much that's conservative in there."

"Well it will work fine, it' just makes you stand out something awful that's all. You could even wear it to a royal ball, that is if you wanted that much attention. This might sound a bit weird but you stand out in that dress more than any other person would if they wore it."

"Well than I'll just make sure to wear my cloak when I go out to get my thing, now here," she said thrusting out the plate, "eat this we need to talk"

Once he had grabbed the plate and sat down in a chair by the fire, his eyes never once leaving her she went on some what self conscious. "Well now that you've sped thing up a little have you even thought about where it is that we'll be living? We can't very well live at The Dancing Dove and even if we could we're not living here."

"Well believe it or not but I actually have thought that far ahead. The only problem is that I moved a little faster than I had planned so the place isn't ready yet."

Kaleena rolled her eyes, "how long till it's ready?"

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks!" she yelled then calmed herself down and went on, "and what will we do till then?"

"I was getting to that; I hate to say this but my mother's."

"Your mother's," she said then she realized, "I've never met your mother."

"Yes, well I'm sure you'll get along fine. After all you're not a thing like the girls she's used to seeing me with, and she could never stand them so I'm sure you'll be fine."

* * *

Kaleena was uncomfortable as she hadn't gotten a chance to get her things from her parent's house, she hadn't gotten to change her clothes and now she was standing in Luke's mother's house while Luke explained what happened. She was a little surprised at the fact that he told her the whole story straight back to five years ago and to what they were up to now. His mother Madeline hadn't said a word or showed anything of what she was thinking once he had finished thinking she said. "Well you've really made a mess of things this time haven't you? I suppose I ought to say yes, but what's in it for me?"

Kaleena smirked, she liked Madeline already, whether or not Madeline liked her had yet to be seen. Luke then said, "The love of your only son and the public image of you new daughter in law."

"That's not good enough for me, I'll let you stay if, and this is a big if, you tell this sweet young girl the truth about how you feel about her."

"I've already told her."

"I don't doubt that you told her some but I want you to tell her the whole truth."

Kaleena blinked a few time as Luke took a deep breath then said, "Fine." he turned toward Kaleena and said, "I'm not just in love with you, and I'm so in love with you that some times I can't even think straight. I can't always stop myself from doing things and it's killing me a little each day not really knowing how you feel about me."

Kaleena blinked again several times in a row trying to help her brain process what it had just heard. When it looked like she wasn't going to say anything Madeline said, "Now you have to tell him or I will never be able to think well of you."

Again more blinking her brain was really having trouble with this one for some reason she just couldn't understand what she had heard, she just kept replaying it over and over again in her head. Both Madeline and Luke were staring at her now wondering what was wrong other than blinking she wasn't moving at all after a good five minutes Luke asked, "are you alright?"

Again just more blinking it took almost an hour after Luke had said that to her that she finely was, able to come back to the world around her. She was sitting in a chair with a concerned Luke, Madeline and a healer around her. She scrunched her forehead then said, "Why is there a healer here?"

"Oh thank Mithros your all right," said Luke, "We thought you might have a problem."

Some what angrily Kaleena said, "Haven't you people ever seen a person in shock before? You didn't need to get a healer." To the healer she said, "shoo, get out of here we don't need you around here." (One would almost think she didn't like healers)

After the healer left Luke said some what skeptically, "That was shock? And why would you go into shock?"

Kaleena rolled her eyes, "Well maybe you hadn't realized this but it's not like it's every day that someone says something like what you said. And so what if it takes me a little longer than other people to process the information, is that a crime?"

"No," said Madeline, "You two can stay here till you get your own place. I like you," she said to Kaleena, "you torture him, not enough people do that. Now, are you two hungry I was thinking about re-heating some meat for earlier and I've got some great potatoes in the garden. Wouldn't take me more than a half hour to get a good meal on the table."

"I would love some," said Kaleena.

"Well then, Luke, why don't you get the two of you situated in your old room while I get dinner ready."

With that said she hurried out of the room to start cooking. Luke looked at Kaleena then said, "Um, I'm sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it; it's not really your fault. So where are we going to be sleeping?"

Luke led the way to a back room and opened the door; it was a small room just barely big enough for the bed that was in it which was a small bed barely big enough for one person. Kaleena raised an eye brow then asked, "We have to share this room?"

"It's the only space in the house."

"Can a person even fit on that thing?" she said gesturing to the bed.

"Actually it's bigger than it looks, you can fit three people in it if you'll believe me. If it will make you happy I'll sleep on the floor."

She sighed, "Does it get cold in here? Isn't there a fire place?"

"It can, I don't think the spells have been updated lately."

"Well than I guess we can share the bed, I hate getting cold and it would be warmer that way."

Luke nodded then closed the door to show her the way to the kitchen once they were in the kitchen Madeline said, "I know it's not big but it's all I have."

"That's fine, I'm sure it's almost too big for just one person."

"Yes, but it has such fond memories that I can't bring myself to part with the place."

Kaleena thought for a moment then said, "Have you ever thought of taking someone in to help you, I know of at least on kid who wants to get out and get some kind of work. He's the middle child of a family of thirteen."

"I've never thought about it, that might not be a bad idea, although I'm a little old to have a kid running around the place."

"Oh but that's where you're wrong, he's a very hard worker and I'm almost sure that you would end up telling him to go out and play for a while because he won't stop working."

"Well… maybe. I'll have to meet him first." With that said she started dishing food on to plate for them, "Here now you two eat up."

"Yes ma'am," they said in unison digging into their food


End file.
